Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts - The Party of the Centuries
by Boskov01
Summary: Aqua receives a strange invitation and finds herself whisked away against her will to a huge party hosted by the mysterious Master Talw in the place for funky magical phenomena: the mythical Castle Disneylahn! Oneshot-spinoff of my Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts Saga.


**Summary:** Aqua receives a strange invitation and finds herself whisked away against her will to a huge party hosted by the mysterious Master Talw in the place for funky magical phenomena: the mythical Castle Disneylahn! Oneshot-spinoff of my Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts Saga

 **Disclaimer:** I own next to nothing in this story.

 **A/N:** I conceived of this story after watching the trailer to the "One Night in Karazhan" expansion to Blizzard Entertainment's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. The trick was materializing the plot. This little ficlet has been in the works for a while but I decided to force myself into writing it as a reverse Birthday gift to my readers. Hope you all enjoy it.

A few small notes. First, in terms of timeline, this story takes place between the original Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts story and its sequel, Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts – The Second Darkness.

Second, there is one song so go ahead and look up the trailer for the aforementioned One Night in Karazhan expansion. The song and the trailer itself sets the overall mood for this story in some degree.

Third, as to whether or not this is canon in the RKH universe, it is but it's not going to have much if any real effect on the rest of the RKH saga.

So with that said, Come inside! Meet your friends at the door! And enjoy the Party of the Centuries!

* * *

 **Radiant Garden…**

The World of Radiant Garden was once again at peace. After the climactic battle that had taken place within the abandoned Heartless Castle only recently, things largely returned to normal. At least it seemed that way but Leon Squallblade of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee knew better. He was looking around with his brow more furrowed than usual as he made his way into the marketplace.

" _Everyone from the marketplace is where they should be. So maybe it's just restoration committee members that are-…"_ Leon's inner monologue said in his mind. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a bright flash of light from the other end of the marketplace and saw a familiar blue haired Keyblade Master arrive on her Keyblade Glider.

" _This can't be a coincidence."_ His inner monologue recorded as he started to approach. Aqua was looking around, a curious look on her face, looking for something but not sure what. He quickly saw Leon approaching and stopped.

"Leon." She greeted.

"Master Aqua. Not really surprised to see you here, all things considered." Leon said as Aqua furrowed her brow, taking note of Leon's ever so subtle signs that he was agitated by something.

"'All things considered?' What's going on?" Aqua asked as Leon crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was hoping you could tell me. People have been disappearing from the Garden all day today. Merlin says not to worry but I'm not buying it." Leon said.

"Start from the beginning. What do you mean, people have been disappearing?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"It's strange. Tina, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, the Gullwings, and even Tifa have all disappeared within the past few hours. I saw Cid talking with some guy in a blue cloak just minutes before they both disappeared." Leon explained.

"Disappear? Disappear how?" Aqua asked.

"Magic. Flash of light and they're gone. Didn't look like one of Cid's gummy ship teleporters either. No, this is different. This is magic." Leon said as Aqua gave a nod.

"Powerful magic at that. I could sense it all the way from the Land of Departure. Whoever or whatever it is, it must be stopped. You mentioned that Merlin said not to worry about it. Did he say why?" Aqua asked but Leon shook his head.

"He said it wasn't the right time for me to know. I don't know what he meant but I have a feeling he knows more than he lets on." Leon replied, Aqua nodding in determination.

"Right. I'll go speak with him right away. Maybe he'll tell me what's going on." Aqua said, sprinting off down the road towards Merlin's House, leaving Leon standing alone in the marketplace.

…

Aqua had arrived at Merlin's House in a matter of minutes. She reared back her hand to knock on the door but paused when she noticed it was partially open. Sensing danger she summoned her Keyblade, keeping it raised as she gently pushed the door open. The house looked fine and undisturbed. No signs of a struggle or any kind of violence. A note was taped to the chalkboard nearby, a note from Merlin reading…

" _Got blown to Bermuda. Will be back in a few days. Wish you were here. – Merlin."_

Aqua quietly allowed a small smile to appear on her face. One of Merlin's favorite exclamations being "Blow me to Bermuda" typically resulted in his getting magically launched all the way to some fabled tropical world and would take him some time to return. Needless to say, this happened on several occasions during Aqua's apprentice years, especially when he exchanged verbal jabs with Professor Shantotto.

Pushing this memory aside, she looked around the house carefully, trying to find some kind of clue as to where the others might've gone. On the table on the platform in the center of the room was what appeared to be a journal dated back a very long time ago. The date was of a time when even the late Master Eraqus hadn't even been born yet. The date aside, there was only one entry on this page, an entry which Aqua found most peculiar.

"The Party of the Centuries?" she asked, aloud. Before she could ponder this any further, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. She spun around and saw a hooded figure in a blue cloak and hood, standing in a dignified pose. The figure had its left arm held elegantly across the front, its right behind its back.

"Ahem. Keyblade Master Aqua?" the figure asked, a young man's voice coming from beneath the hood.

"Who are you?" she asked, holding her Keyblade tightly. The man then proceeded to put his left arm behind his back and pulled his right arm around to the front, producing a simple white envelope, sealed with blue wax, the seal depicting the symbol of a majestic castle beneath a sky of crescent moons and stars. The man held the envelope out for her to take.

"Your invitation, milady. I would be honored if you would attend." The man said, Aqua hesitantly taking the envelope.

"Attend? Attend what?" Aqua asked, dismissing her Keyblade and cautiously starting to open the envelope. At the same time, Leon was passing by and saw inside the door, recognizing the hooded figure and his eyes widened.

"Aqua! Don't!" he yelled but it was too late! Aqua looked up just as she broke the seal on the envelope. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light that caused Leon to recoil.

"No!" he yelped, shielding himself. When the light faded, Aqua and the man were gone.

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

The light had blinded Aqua as well, causing her to shield her eyes. As the light faded, she lowered her arms and found herself in an unknown place. There were endless rolling green hills resting peacefully in the twilight of the late evening, the sun just hidden behind the mountains. She could see a train rolling past in the distance, traveling along a route that curved around the hills. She started to turn around to try and get her bearings but as she did, she saw that she was stood outside the gates of a huge castle with several tall towers that reached into the sky. The windows though all appeared to be flashing with multicolored lights and strange shadows being cast upon the windows from the inside. Standing outside the closed doors, was the same hooded figure that had handed her the invitation.

"Where am I?" she asked, confused, but when she spoke, she noticed her right sleeve looked off. She looked down at her clothes and discovered that her entire appearance had changed. Her face and body were still the same but her hair had grown longer, reaching the middle of her upper back, hanging straight down the back. She had a white crop top with puffy sleeves and a ruffled collar, her midriff exposed. She wore purple parachute pants with blue and silver open toed platform heels. She still had her lucky charm though, dangling around her left arm. Her armor piece for her Keyblade armor was missing. Her left hand still held the opened envelope.

"What happened to my clothes?" she asked. The figure merely pointed coyly at the envelope in her hand. Aqua skeptically looked inside the envelope, pulling out a once-folded piece of paper. The minute she did, she heard disco music start playing from inside. She then heard the voice of the hooded man start to speak as she unfolded and read the letter, the man speaking the exact contents of the letter…

"Your host: The Great Master Talw, invites you back, to party down, with ME!" the voice said as Aqua heard the doors opening, the music increasing in volume. (A/N: Talw is pronounced Tallow) She looked up to see the doors swinging open. A sourceless voice then started to sing as the man vanished in a flash of light, Aqua starting to walk inside where she saw dozens if not hundreds of revelers and partygoers inside.

" _Come inside, meet your friends at the door!"_

…the voice sang as Aqua was enthusiastically welcomed by some of the partygoers, some of them welcoming her as if they'd known her for years as she wandered quickly into another room…

" _We've got a feast like you've never seen before!"_

…the voice sang as Aqua found herself forced into a room where three huge buffet tables, all with an absurd amount of food piled on. She found herself pulled back out the way she came and into another adjoining room…

" _Shake your stuff to a musical beat!"_

…the voice sang as she beheld a large ballroom with a multicolored square tiled dance floor, the tiles flashing as the crowd inside partied the hearts out…

" _Play life-sized chess, but don't you dare cheat!"_

…the voice sang as a large white knight chess piece landed on one of the dance floor tiles, being ridden by a familiar raven haired ninja.

"Yuffie?" Aqua asked, confused, before finding herself mobbed across the dancefloor, swept away by a group of excited partygoers into a courtyard in the center of the castle, where a large round stage had been set up in the center. There she saw the source of the voice, a sunglasses wearing man with a black afro in typical disco garb and backed up by several dancers in similar garb as he sang into a microphone…

" _Most of all, throw your worries away!  
Dive right in, you'll never be the same!"_

Aqua noticed a portion of the stadium started to rise behind the singer and the dancers as lights flashed overhead. A burst of white light appeared, revealing the hooded man on the elevated podium. The man immediately pulled back his hood and opened his cloak. He was a handsome man in his late twenties, early thirties with a pointed brown beard, long curly brown hair, and winning grin on his face. He wore a frilled white shirt, red parachute pants, and brown boots. Aqua was confused as she started to approach. The man seemed strangely familiar but she couldn't place where she'd seen him before. The crowd went wild when the man revealed himself, conjuring a staff to his right hand while conjuring and holding out a martini towards the crowd with a cheerful grin.

" _This is the place of funky magical phenomena, anything goes! For One Night in Disneyla~hn!"_

At the final note, a burst of fireworks lit up the sky overhead, the crowd letting out a cheer as the fireworks went off overhead. Disco music continued playing in the backgrounds as the man laughed with delight, his martini magically changed into a microphone and he held it towards his face.

"Welcome! Welcome one and all to my humble home! The Wonderful World of Disneylahn!" the man greeted, the crowd applauding as he descended a magically appearing flight of stairs towards the courtyard floor.

"Disneylahn." Aqua said softly, the name sounding familiar. She checked her side where the Book of Eraqus, a lengthy tome written by her late master, usually rested from her belt but instead it was missing. The host then continued.

"I'm sure most of you have been here before but for those of you who haven't, welcome! You're probably confused about your surroundings by now but that's part of the fun of the party! Solve the mystery if you want but if you're not that concerned, just enjoy the party!" The man said before vanishing in a flash of light, the crowd beginning to dance along with the music, enjoying themselves and leaving Aqua standing confused amongst the revelers.

"What is going on?" She asked, trying to figure out what had happened.

"It's a good thing you're asking that question or else we'd be in trouble." A voice said from nearby. She turned and saw a man dressed in a white suit and parachute trousers, black boots, a pair of glasses, looking at a pocket watch. The man had frizzy brown/black hair with trimmed sideburns. The man then pocketed the pocket watch and turned towards her, removing the glasses and extending a hand of greeting with a grin on his face.

"Master Aqua, pleasure to make your acquaintance again…or is this the first time…well when in this business it can be rather complicated. Better not to think too much of it." The man greeted, speaking with a Scottish accent.

"What?" she asked, confused but taking the man's hand.

"Oh never mind that. Cò, at your service. They call me the Professor. Don't mind the clothes. The Master always does that. Gets the guests more in a partying mood." The man greeted with a slight bow.

"Listen, I'm really confused here. Where am I?" Aqua asked.

"I think you probably missed the song, didn't you? This is the Castle Disneylahn! It's the home of the Great Master Talw! Oh, but you knew him by a different name didn't you? Most people did. I keep forgetting that detail." Cò, commented. Aqua seemed to recognize the names.

"Why do those names sound familiar to me? I feel like I've heard of both before. Look, how do you know me?" Aqua asked, Cò quickly checking his pocket watch again, his eyes widening slightly.

"First two things, easy to explain. The last one, can't say until later. Come along, there's someone you need to meet!" Cò said as he led Aqua by the hand into the castle, passing the revelers.

"Okay, Disneylahn is the name of the castle, clearly, but you probably know it because it's the home of arguably the most powerful magic user to have ever lived in all the known worlds…or world in this case." Cò explained as they maneuvered through the crowd.

"I've heard it was a myth. Some great bastion of magic power. How can it be real?" Aqua asked as Cò grinned at her from over his shoulder.

"Oh you're really in for a start, you are." He said, almost giddy with excitement at her questioning. They then bumped into one of the revelers, a familiar red haired man in a black and red shirt and trouser combo, a red fire pattern around the cuffs of his trousers.

"Hey! Watch-…well hello there." The man said as he saw Aqua. Aqua recognized him immediately.

"Axel! How did you get here?" Aqua asked, the man looking at her confused.

"I don't remember introducing myself to you. Oh well, since you know mine, what say you tell me your name and what heaven you came down from, babe?" Axel asked, slipping around to put arm around her from behind. Aqua looked at him in confusion.

"Axel, don't you recognize me?" she asked, but Axel merely shrugged.

"Is this some kind of game? I'm fine with it if this is some kind of flirting game." Axel said, not noticing the hand he had put around her was accidently copping a feel on her right breast. Aqua however noticed, glowing with a murderous aura. What followed was a slap that was echoed all the way into the mountains outside the castle. Axel as planted into the wall nearby, a steaming red handprint across his face.

"Wash it schomthin' I schaid?" Axel grunted from the wall. Aqua's eye was twitching while Cò merely grinned. The revelers never noticed a thing, continuing to dance and party like nothing was happening.

"Ah! There it is! The famous pervert-punishing-slap-of-doom! Classic!" the Professor commented delightedly, earning a confused look from Aqua.

"What?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"Oh don't mind me. I really do love this party. So many people you'd never find together in…well, rather a long time actually." Cò commented before finding the business end of Aqua's Keyblade shoved in his face.

"Alright, I've had about enough of this! What's going on?!" She asked. Cò kept his hands raised defensively, his pocket watch in his left hand. He opened it with his thumb and glanced at it before pocketing it.

"Ah, you might want to rethink that. Trust me when I say I'm on your side. Nothing here is going to hurt you or me. In fact, this is quite harmless really." Cò commented.

"Then give me some kind of clue as to what's going on." Aqua said. Before either could make a move, Aqua's Keyblade was lowered by the end of a familiar staff. Aqua looked and saw Talw himself, lowering her Keyblade with his staff.

"What's this? Oh come-come let's not fight amongst ourselves…well that's unless you enjoy that sort of thing, in which case we'll need a referee." Talw commented, taking a sip of his drink. It wasn't a martini anymore but some nameless beverage in a silver chalice.

"Who are you exactly?" Aqua asked, glaring at Talw who shot her a suave grin.

"First time guest, aren't you?" he asked. Aqua just glared at him. Cò leaned in towards him.

"First time for her, definitely." He said as Talw grinned towards the Professor.

"Professor Cò! Always glad to have to have the authorities on hand! Scale of one to shutting-us-down-for-being-too-off-the-chain-to-handle, where does this one sit?" Talw asked but Cò merely curled his lips inward with a smile. Talw gave an understanding nod.

"Ah, right. Can't say. Got it. Anyway, Miss, there's nothing to be worried about! Once the party's over, you'll be returned to exactly where you came from, no worse for wear." Talw said as Aqua crossed her arms over her chest.

"And the other people you've abducted?" Aqua asked but Talw gave a dismissive wave with a smile.

"Them as well. All of my guests will be returned to where they came from at the end of the night! They may not remember right off the bat but they all will eventually. Come on, I'm not a bad guy! You'll realize that eventually, especially once you get to know me." Talw said but Aqua pointed the tip of her Keyblade into his face.

"I don't want to know you at all." Aqua replied. Talw merely smiled, looking at the Keyblade.

"Ah…Keyblade Master…Magic user, I presume." Talw said as Aqua glared at him but said nothing. His staff proceeded to disappear, being replaced by a Keyblade, a Keyblade that was a straight shaft with sparkling stars and moons made of shimmering silver and a golden star in the tooth that literally glowed with light. Aqua blinked in surprise as Talw calmly brushed her Keyblade out of his face with his own.

"I assure you, had I dishonorable or ignoble intentions, I wouldn't be so charitable. You're young, so you'll learn. But for now, enjoy the party! Life is too short! Learn to have fun now so that when you're old and crabby, you can at least crack a smile at an allegedly ill spent youth." Talw said, dismissing his Keyblade and disappearing into the crowd. Aqua was left perplexed as Cò watched him leave.

"To be fair, I never thought of you as old and crabby. You actually turn out quite kind." He said, further perplexing Aqua.

"What is going on here, Professor? None of this makes any sense!" she said as Cò gave a slight nod.

"Maybe from where you're standing but not me. But come on, there's someone to meet that'll help explain it all for you." He said, motioning for her to follow. Aqua furrowed her brow and started following him through the crowd. She followed him up a curving flight of stairs to where a balcony overlooking the courtyard was located. Standing on the balcony was someone Aqua never expected to see.

"I've been waiting for you. We've got a lot to talk about."

Aqua stood wide eyed as she stood staring right back at herself. There was another Aqua, standing before her in the exact same clothes. The only difference was that she had her hair draped over her left shoulder.

"What…is…this?" the first asked as the second leaned against the balcony railing.

"Don't worry. I still remember being where you are now. There's really not that much distance between you and me. I know it sounds like I'm speaking in riddles but trust me, everything is just fine." The Second said as the First blinked in disbelief.

"How is it possible? How are you here?" The first asked.

"That, you'll have to learn from Master Talw. Trust me, he's a friend. You'll find that out soon enough." The Second replied.

"But what about all of the people abducted from Radiant Garden?" The first asked. The second merely smiled and motioned towards the courtyard below. Aqua stepped out to see the crowd. She scanned through the crowd and finally saw what the second was referring to. She saw Tifa behind the bar in a white crop top, black miniskirt, red gloves and boots. At the bar her was Cid in a blue T-shirt, green slacks, goggles on his forehead, and sipping from a mug of tea. The Gullwings were floating nearby only Yuna was in a white dress and Rikku was in a brown leather top and pants instead of her bikini and hotpants. Paine looked the same. Aerith however made Aqua blink in disbelief as she saw her dancing with someone that Aqua recognized.

"Wait! Is that Zack?!" the First Aqua asked as the second gave a nod.

"Uh-huh."

"But he's-…"

"Dead? Yeah…well, more accurately, he's not dead yet." The Second Aqua replied.

"Not yet? What do you mean?" the first asked, looking at the second but the second merely smiled.

"You'll figure it out. It's the reason the Professor is here." The second commented as Cò checked his pocket watch again.

"Yes and, time's almost up. Buzzkill imminent and all." The Professor said as the Second chuckled.

"Yeah, this'll be impressive." The Second Aqua said as the First furrowed her brow, still very confused.

"Why is none of this making any sense?" she asked, not noticing as Master Talw ascended a flight of stairs, accompanied by a pair of attractive young women under each arm.

"Oh there you are, Master Aqua! Enjoying the party, a second time are we?" Talw asked with delight, the Second Aqua smiling back at him.

"Yes sir. Just helping myself understand that mystery you mentioned." The Second Aqua said as Talw grinned towards the first.

"Ah so that's what you've been doing. Trying to solve the great mystery of the Party of the Centuries. Be honest, is it a real dome scratcher?" he asked, excited to hear her answer.

"It's making no sense. I-…wait, did you say Party of the Centuries?" she asked as Talw nodded with a smile.

"Oh yes. That's what I'm billing this as. So far, it looks to be living up to expectations." Talw replied.

"Wait, is one of your guests a wizard named Merlin?" The first asked.

"Merlin? Yes indeedy! He's in the buffet room putting on an amazing show! He's got the tables and chairs all floating around in the air! Hilarious! He knows how to party!" Talw commented as the first Aqua blinked, the second noticing and recognizing that realization was dawning on the first.

"Wait…that entry into Merlin's journal. It referenced something called the Party of the Centuries, but the date…that would mean that-…" The first Aqua stammered in stunned realization as the Second smiled and chimed in.

"That would mean you've been pulled into the distant past…pulled backwards through time." The second said as Talw smiled, his lady escorts disappearing into the crowds. He reached into his coat and produced a copy of his invitation, holding it out for Aqua to see.

"My invitation did say that I invited you back to the party." Talw said.

"Meaning, back in time." The first Aqua commented but Talw bobbed his head to one side.

"Yes and back for a second time." Talw said, glancing at the Second Aqua. The first looked towards her counterpart in realization.

"So…you're me but from the future. You've seen all that happens. How far from the future are you from?" she asked as the Second Aqua smiled.

"Can't really say but sufficed to say, it's not very long." She replied, the Professor sucking air through his teeth as he looked at his pocket watch.

"Well can't say this hasn't been fun but, time's up I'm afraid." Cò said as Talw furrowed his brow, confused.

"Time's up? Why? What happens?" Talw asked as the Professor glanced towards the courtyard.

"Buzzkill." He replied. They all looked towards the center of the courtyard where the musicians were still performing. Suddenly the space just above the stage started to warp and crackle with lightning, a rectangular shape appearing in the air, a door appearing from out of nowhere. The party came to a grinding halt as they all saw the door appearing, the door opening, and a tall figure in a familiar blue robe, conical hat with stars and crescent moons perched atop its head, a long grey beard attached to a stern face. The figure slammed the door shut, the door releasing a shockwave as it disappeared. Talw grinned at the figure.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Talw asked, summoning his staff before backing up and pole vaulting off of the balcony where he landed in the center of the courtyard below. Both Aquas recognized the figure though.

"Master Yen Sid." The first gasped in surprise as the elder Keyblade Master descended the stairs, looking over the crowd with a piercing gaze. His eyes then fixed upon Talw as the latter approached, a coy grin on his face but a look of determination in his eyes. The partygoers were watching with bated breath as the two approached one another. Aqua, recalling Talw's power, quickly realized that Master Yen Sid could be outmatched and quickly ran back, leaping off the balcony and landing safely in the courtyard, beginning to make her way through the crowd towards Yen Sid and Talw. At the same time, Cò and the second Aqua stood watching from the balcony, neither one particularly disturbed by the events. The Professor was smiling though.

"This never gets old. You're just firecrackers when you want to be." He said giddily. The Second Aqua merely smiled and chuckled as they watched the first making her way through the crowd. Talw and Yen Sid were soon standing face to face in a large clearing amongst the crowd.

"Okay, so, don't suppose that you're here to sample the punch, whoever you are. I mean if I knew you, I'd have invited you. No reason to crash the party." Talw said but Yen Sid crossed his arms over his chest.

"This party is over, Talw. Send these people back to where they belong." Yen Sid ordered, Talw arching a curious eyebrow, summoning his Keyblade and resting it on his shoulder.

"Oh? And who's going to make me? I don't recall inviting you to my party and I can sense you don't have much magic power of your own." Talw said, Yen Sid calmly staring the younger man down.

"I didn't need an invitation." He replied as Aqua managed to break free of the crowd, slipping in between Talw and the older Keyblade Master, her weapon pointed towards Talw.

"Master Yen Sid, watch out! He's very powerful!" Aqua warned.

"I know, Master Aqua. I know all about Talw. I've known him all my life." Yen Sid replied as he reached into his robe, producing an old and weathered copy of one of Talw's invitations. Talw blinked in surprise.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"I told you, I didn't need an invitation. I wrote them." Yen Sid replied, Talw blinking in surprise.

"You wrote-…wait, if you wrote the invitations, then that means that you're-…" he stammered, Yen Sid giving a silent nod. Aqua was confused but Talw seemed shocked. He stood slack jawed for a moment before a smile appeared on his face.

"Well played. Guess this is how the Party of the Centuries comes to an end." He said as he snapped his fingers. All of the closed doors in the castle suddenly opened, each revealing a swirling vortex of colors. The party music stopped and the castle immediately began to adopt a more antebellum look. Gone were the mountains of food, the dance floors, the life-sized chess set, and all the party decorations. The guests all realized this was the end of the party and started to file out with a groan, walking through the doors and disappearing. Aqua was still stood between Talw and Yen Sid as she watched the crowds disperse. She then turned to Yen Sid, confused.

"Master Yen Sid, what's going on?" Aqua asked as Talw chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious, Aqua? You don't see the resemblance?" Talw asked, dismissing his Keyblade and moving to stand next to Yen Sid. They were the exact same imposing height but after a moment, Aqua saw a familiar gentility in their eyes.

"Master Yen Sid?" she asked, Yen Sid glancing at the younger man.

"In my youth, I was a foolish, impetuous, and frivolous young man. My name then, was Talw." Yen Sid explained as Aqua blinked in surprise. The younger man and Yen Sid were one and the same only many, many years apart. Talw looked at his older self with slight disappointment.

"So is 'party pooper' your title or do you still throw some wild parties in your day?" Talw asked but Yen Sid smiled softly and shook his head.

"I had to grow up sometime, Talw, but tonight is a night I will never forget…nor, will I regret it." He said as Talw's smile reappeared.

"Good to see you still have some sense of fun." Talw said as the Second Aqua and Professor Cò approached them. Yen Sid noticed their approach.

"Thanks for the second invitation, Master. I certainly enjoyed myself this time around." The Second Aqua said as Yen Sid gave a slight smile and nod.

"Of course." He replied. The Second Aqua smiled at the first before heading for one of the doors. By now the courtyard and indeed the entire castle was practically deserted, only the older and younger Yen Sids, the Professor, and Aqua remaining behind.

"So, I have to ask…why me? Why invite me?" Aqua asked, Talw merely sighing and shrugging.

"Because you, like everyone else at this party, influenced the worlds in some way, be it great or small. People who have done thankless jobs or performed great feats without nary a thank you. That is what tonight was about. This was your reward. A night to kick back, relax, and be at peace." Talw explained as Aqua gave an understanding nod.

"Thank you too, Master. Which brings me to you." Aqua said, turning to the Professor. Cò's clothes had changed entirely. He now wore a black tweed suit and trousers, white work shirt, black tie with a tie pen shaped like an X although it was clearly a roman numeral for 10. He did, however, wear a pair of red trainers. He was checking his pocket watch.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm someone you'll never meet me outside of here. Reason being, you'll have been long gone by the time I'm even born." The Professor said as Aqua looked at him curiously.

"Talw mentioned you were some kind of authority figure. What did he mean by that?" she asked. Talw took a breath.

"To put it simply, time is very fragile. One altered event could set off a whole ripple effect that could forever alter the worlds we know. I'm in charge of those who oversee time itself. To make sure that it remains untouched and untampered with. You actually prove very instrumental in helping to create…or I should say, recreate our Organization. I can tell you this because it's one of those predestination paradoxes. No worries. You'll remember when the time comes." The Professor explained.

"And the people who attended the party?" Aqua asked.

"The magic the Master used, places a block on their memories, so that they won't remember any of this until a specific point in their life. You'll remember though." Cò said.

"Then why did you come here?" Aqua asked. The Professor took one look at the older and younger Keyblade Masters before curling his lip in slight annoyance.

"Ask them. Seriously, you take hundreds of people from throughout space and time and you think we weren't going to notice? But I will give him points, he thought of everything. The forget-me-spell for example, the doorways back to their own times and places. Quite ingenious that. You know how to put the toys away, surely. Definitely one to remember." The Professor said before checking his pocket watch one last time and then smiling up at them.

"And with that, lady and gentlemen, I don't want to go, but I must. Time flies and all." The Professor said, briefly pocketing his watch before his clothes seemed to warp and distort until they'd morphed into a familiar black coat. A shimmering door of light then appeared before him, the door opening. He took one last look towards Aqua and smiled with a wink before taking a deep breath.

"Geronimo!" he yelled before charging into the door, disappearing inside of it, the door slamming shut behind him and disappearing with a shockwave. Aqua smiled before turning towards the Masters Yen Sid.

"I suppose I best be getting back." Aqua said but Talw merely smiled.

"Oh I think we both know that you'll be back sooner than you think. And to make sure you do come back, here. It's dated for early on in the party so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourself before the party ends." Talw said, producing a sealed invitation envelope from his sleeve, handing it to her. Aqua smiled with a nod.

"Thank you, Master Talw." Aqua said, bowing to him. Talw bowed back with a smile.

"Go on ahead, Aqua. I will return on my own soon enough." Master Yen Sid said as Aqua nodded, walking towards one of the doors and walking through it. In a flash of light, she found herself back in Merlin's House. She was back in her usual attire but holding the sealed invitation. She quickly pocketed it before heading for the door. As she approached the door, it opened, revealing Leon.

"You're back. Where did you go?" Leon commented, surprised.

"Don't worry about that. What about everyone else?" Aqua asked.

"They're all back, but they don't recall ever leaving." Leon replied, Aqua smiling slightly.

"Good. Then I guess my work here is done." She said as she headed for the door.

"What happened, Aqua? Where did you and everyone go?" Leon asked, Aqua pausing mid-step.

"I promise you Leon, everything is alright. Everything happened like it was supposed to. Everyone's fine. One day everyone will remember what happened, but until then, relax and be patient." Aqua said as Leon, sensing sincerity in her words, visibly relaxed.

"Alright." He replied as Aqua quietly glanced at the envelope. She then looked towards the sky and put a hand to her armor piece, her armor appearing over her in a flash as she reared back and threw her Keyblade into the air, the Keyblade transforming into her Keyblade Glider and coming back around towards the ground.

* * *

 **Later…**

Master Yen Sid sat at his desk, quietly reading from one of the large tomes he kept in his tower. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" He boomed. The door opened, Aqua walking into the Keyblade Master's study.

"Aqua? Is there something I can help you with?" Yen Sid asked.

"Actually, Master, there's something I needed to talk to you about." Aqua said, earning a curious eyebrow from Yen Sid.

"Oh? What troubles you?" he asked, closing his book and folding his hands together in front of him on the desk. Aqua quietly reached into her sleeve and pulled out the invitation envelope, placing it on his desk. Yen Sid looked at the envelope for a moment before his eyes widened in realization.

"I see. So you just came from Talw's party." He said as Aqua gave a nod.

"Yes sir." She replied. Yen Sid calmly rose from his seat, making sure his hat was straight, before heading for the door to the side room.

"Thank you for reminding me of this, Aqua. The time has come for me to put an end to the Party of the Centuries. I remember being told that you would be the catalyst to this event when you presented me with that envelope." Yen Sid said as he opened the door, stepping into the room full of covered objects. Aqua watched as he removed the cover off of one of the objects, revealing it to be a painted portrait of the majestic Disneylahn in its prime. An aged old invitation was wedged in the corner between the frame and the portrait itself. Yen Sid removed the invitation from the picture, slipping the invitation into his sleeve before turning towards Aqua.

"You should consider using that invitation of yours. If memory serves, you will need to be there when you arrive." Yen Sid said as Aqua smiled, looking at the invitation envelope.

"I probably should. But, Master Yen Sid, there's one thing I don't understand. If you were supposed to be the ruler of the fabled Disneylahn, what happened to it? What happened to that entire castle?" she asked. Yen Sid merely looked around, motioning to the tower around them.

"You're standing in it. Back then, Disneylahn represented my ego, my pride, my ambition and frivolity. Eventually, I learned humility and much like you reshaped the Land of Departure into Castle Oblivion, I too reshaped Disneylahn into this, my modest tower." Yen Sid explained as Aqua smiled and nodded understandingly.

"I guess I'll be seeing you again real soon then." Aqua said as Yen Sid merely smiled and chuckled.

"That you will, Aqua, that you will." He replied before turning towards the portrait of Disneylahn, placing a hand on it which caused it to start glowing with a bright white light. Aqua shielded herself from the light and when it faded, Yen Sid had vanished. She smiled as she started to leave, but as she did, she looked at the envelope in her hand and paused.

"Well…" she said to herself, reaching to open it…

"…it is the Party of the Centuries after all."

* * *

 **The End**

Well for a story that took me a little less than 24 hours to knock out, this was certainly fun to write. A few quick notes before we fully wrap up here.

I based Professor Cò off of David Tennant's portrayal of the eponymous Tenth Doctor in the sci-fi series Doctor Who. I chose to stick with Tennant's natural Scottish accent though. The word "Cò" is also Gaelic for "Who" as a sort of nod to the character's origins. At this time, I'm considering including the Professor in the next installation of the RKH Saga and felt that this story would be a great way to measure what people think of the character and his inclusion. His role will be relatively minor in the next story but more on that will come following the completion of RKH: The Forgotten Worlds. Side note: I do recommend watching the Doctor Who short episode: "Time Crash" on YouTube for a great example of how I visualize the Professor's "fanboyish" moments around Aqua.

You might also have been able to figure out that Talw was Yen Sid's younger self ahead of time by simply rearranging Talw's name to read W-A-L-T which is, of course, Walt Disney's first name in anagram form and Yen Sid is simply Disney spelled backwards. You can also assume that I based Master Talw's appearance off of the Magus Medivh's appearance in Hearthstone.

And don't worry too much about time travel. There's not going to be an overabundance of it in the RKH saga. It can make just about anyone's head spin. Don't believe me? Just play Bioshock: Infinite and both of the Burial at Sea DLCs.

Another note about the Professor. I will confirm that the Professor is part of a reborn Organization XIII from the future. He's the leader of its Tenth Division which (like Luxord the original number 10) focuses on Time. I felt that using the Axel/Reno Phenomenon (where two characters from two different universes share so many similarities that they're essentially the same character only in two different universes) with the Doctor was a fair decision. I'm not a diehard Whovian mind you, although I do own the Doctor Who LEGO Set and have a toy of the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver but that's it. Oh and the Professor is not the only member of the Tenth Division, just its leader like I said.

So I hope you enjoyed this little story and until then…

Keep R&Ring…

STT


End file.
